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Distinguished Professor and Robert and Marjorie Mann Chair, Chemistry Department
Distinguished Professor, School of Public and Environmental Affairs

Professor Hieftje received an A.B. degree from Hope College, Holland, MI, in 1964 and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 1969. He then joined the faculty at Indiana University as an assistant professor of chemistry. He became a full professor in 1977 and was named a Distinguished Professor in 1985. He is the author of over 550 scientific publications, 10 books, and holds 18 patents. Over 60 students have received doctorates under his direction; many others have received M.S. degrees, and scores of undergraduates and visiting scientists have performed research in his laboratories.

Professor Hieftje's research interests include the investigation of basic mechanisms in atomic emission, absorption, fluorescence and mass spectrometric analysis, and the development of instrumentation and techniques for atomic methods of analysis. He is interested also in the on-line computer control of chemical instrumentation and experiments, the use of time-resolved luminescence processes for analysis, the application of information theory to analytical chemistry, analytical mass spectrometry, near-infrared reflectance analysis, and the use of stochastic processes to extract basic and kinetic chemical information.

Research

Research in our group generally involves the areas of spectrochemical analysis, chemical instrumentation, and information theory, with particular emphasis on mass spectrometry and optical techniques in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared regions. Current projects include studies on basic atom formation, ionization, and excitation processes in flames and rare-gas plasmas, for use in atomic emission, absorption, mass, and fluorescence spectrometry; the development of new atomic methods of analysis; instrumental techniques to reduce the effects of background noise on measurements; computer-assisted chemical analysis; remote analysis based on fiber optics; near-infrared reflectance analysis; development of chromatographic detectors; plasma-source mass spectrometry; ambient desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, and picosecond time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy. Two of these projects are described briefly in the following paragraphs.

Flame and plasma atomic spectrometry are currently the most widely used techniques for elemental analysis. However, these methods are still impaired by interference among elements, limited sensitivity, and instrumental complexity. It is our firm belief that these limitations can be largely overcome by gaining a basic understanding of the underlying phenomena in each of the methods and then carefully designing improved instrumentation. To this end, we have a substantial ongoing effort to understand and mechanistically characterize the events leading to the formation, ionization, and excitation of atoms in flames and rare-gas plasmas. The efficiency with which atoms are formed, ionized, and excited governs both the sensitivity and the degree of elemental interference in such methods. Understanding the formation and excitation processes of atoms and ions will lead to a rational improvement in instrument performance.

In another area, novel mass spectrometers are being designed that are intended for use in the field of “metallomics”. A large fraction of known proteins contain metal atoms; in such situations, it is important to characterize not only the protein, but which metal atoms it contains, how many metal atoms there are, and if there is more than one kind of metal present. To address this problem, we have devised a novel time-of-flight mass spectrometer that accepts two ion sources simultaneously. When coupled to a separations device (LC or electrophoresis), this new tool is expected to be important in the characterization of proteins.

Thomson laser scattering system for acquisition of electron number densities and electron energy distributions in an analytical glow discharge (top-right corner)

Publications

PubMed

Schilling, G.D., Shelley, J.T., Barnes IV, J.H., Sperline, R.P., Denton, M.B., Barinaga, C.J., Koppenaal, D.W., and Hieftje, G.M., Detection of Positive and Negative Ions from a Flowing Atmospheric Pressure Afterglow using a Mattauch-Herzog Mass Spectrograph Equipped with a Faraday-Strip Array Detector. J. Am. Soc. Mass. Spectrom., 21(1), 97-103, (2010).

Rubinshtein, A.A., Schilling, G.D., Ray, S.J., Sperline, R.P., Denton, M.B., Barinaga, C.J., Koppenaal, D.W., and Hieftje, G.M., Characterization of a Third-Generation Faraday-Strip Array Detector Coupled to a Mattauch-Herzog Geometry Mass Spectrograph with a dc-Glow Discharge Ionization Source. J. Anal. At. Spec., 25, 735-738, (2010).

Schilling, G.D., Ray, S.J., Sperline, R.P., Denton, M.B., Barinaga, C.J., Koppenaal, D.W., and Hieftje, G.M., Optimization of Ag Isotope-Ratio Precision with a 128-Channel Array Detector Coupled to a Mattauch-Herzog Mass Spectrograph. J. Anal. At. Spec., 25, 322-327, (2010).

Rogers, D.A., Ray, S.J., and Hieftje, G.M., An Electrospray/Inductively Coupled Plasma Dual-Source Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer for Rapid Metallomic and Speciation Analysis. Part 1: Molecular Channel Characterization. Metallomics, 2(4), 271-279, (2010).

Rogers, D.A., Ray, S.J., and Hieftje, G.M., An Electrospray/Inductively Coupled Plasma Dual-Source Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer for Rapid Metallomic and Speciation Analysis. Part 2: Atomic Channel and Dual-Channel Characterization. Metallomics, 2(4), 280-288, (2010).

Rogers, D.A., Ray, S.J., and Hieftje, G.M., Use of a nano-electrospray/inductively coupled plasma dual-source time-of-flight mass spectrometer for chromium speciation, J. Anal. At. Spec., 25(1), 62-73, (2010).

Chan, G.C.-Y. and Hieftje, G.M., Algorithm to Determine Matrix-Effect Crossover Points for Overcoming Interferences in Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry. J. Anal. At. Spec., 25, 282-294, (2010).

Shelley, J.T. and Hieftje, G.M., Ionization Matrix Effects in Plasma-Based Ambient Mass Spectrometry Sources. J. Anal. At. Spec., 25, 345-350, (2010).

Shelley, J.T. and Hieftje, G.M., Fast Transient Analysis and First-Stage Collision-induced Dissociation with the Flowing Atmospheric-Pressure Afterglow Ionization Source to Improve Analyte Detection and Identification. The Analyst, 135, 682-687, (2010).

Hieftje, G.M., Atomic Spectrometry: 2010. J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 25(5), 611-612, (2010).

Engelhard, C., Ray, S.J., Buscher, W., Hoffman, V., and Hieftje, G.M., Correcting Distortion in a Monochromatic Imaging Spectrometer for Application to Elemental Imaging by Glow Discharge-Optical Emission Spectrometry. J. Anal. At. Spec., 25(12), 1874-1881, (2010).

Liu, K., Huang, M., and Hieftje, G.M., Humidity-Induced Spectral Shift in a Cross-Dispersion Echelle Spectrometer and Its Theoretical Investigation. Spectroscopy and Spectral Analysis, 30(9), 2555-2559, (2010).

Graham, A.W., Ray, S.J., Enke, C.G., Barinaga, C.J., Koppenaal, D.W., and Hieftje, G.M., First Distance-of-Flight Instrument: Opening a New Paradigm in Mass Spectrometry. J. Am. Soc. for Mass Spectrom., 22(1), 110-117, (2011).

Felton, J.A., Schilling, G., Ray, S.J., Sperline, R., Denton, M.B., Barinaga, C.J., Koppenaal, D.W., and Hieftje, G.M., Evaluation of a Fourth-Generation Focal Plane Camera for use in Plasma-Source Mass Spectrometry. J. Anal. At. Spec., 26(2), 300-304, (2011).

Voronov, M., Hoffmann, V., Buscher, W., Engelhard, C., Ray, S.J., and Hieftje, G.M., Pressure Waves Generated in a Grimm-type Pulsed Glow Discharge Source and Their Influence on Discharge Parameters. J. Anal. At. Spec., 26(4), 811-815, (2011).

Hieftje, G., Shelley, J.T., Chan, G.C.-Y., and Cooks, G., Spectroscopic Plasma Diagnostics on a Low-Temperature Plasma Probe for Ambient Mass Spectrometry. J. Anal. At. Spec., 26(7), 1434-1444, (2011).

Chan, G.C.-Y., Shelley, J.T., Wiley, J.S., Engelhard, C., Jackson, A., Cooks, G., and Hieftje, G., Elucidation of Reaction Mechanisms Responsible for Afterglow and Reagent-Ion Formation in the Low-Temperature Plasma Probe Ambient Ionization Source. Anal. Chem., 83(10), 3675-3686, (2011).

Shelley, J.T., J.S. Wiley, and G. Hieftje, Ultrasensitive Ambient Mass Spectrometric Analysis with a Pin-to-Capillary Flowing Atmospheric-Pressure Afterglow Source. Anal. Chem., 83(14), 5741-5748, (2011).

Awards

• IR 100 Award, 1983
• Anachem Award, 1984
• Meggers Award for year 1983, Society for Applied Spectroscopy, 1984
• Lester W. Strock Medal, Society for Applied Spectroscopy, 1984
• Chemical Instrumentation Award, American Chemical Society, Analytical Division, 1985
• Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award, Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, 1986
• Theophilus Redwood Award, Royal Society of Chemistry, United Kingdom, 1986
• ACS Award in Analytical Chemistry Sponsored by Fisher Scientific Company, 1987
• American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow, 1987
• Tracy M. Sonneborn Award, Indiana University, 1987
• Pergamon/Spectrochimica Acta Atomic Spectroscopy Award, 1988
• R&D 100 Award, Research & Development Magazine, 1988
• Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, Honorary Membership, 1988
• Award in Spectrochemical Analysis, American Chemical Society, Analytical Division, 1989
• Indiana Academy of Science, Fellow, 1989
• Pergamon/Spectrochimica Acta Atomic Spectroscopy Award, 1991
• Eastern Analytical Symposium Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Fields of Analytical Chemistry, 1992
• Lester W. Strock Medal, Society for Applied Spectroscopy ,1992
• Golden Key National Honor Society, Honorary Member, 1993
• Distinguished Faculty Award, Indiana University Arts and Sciences Alumni Association, 1993
• Honorary Professor, Jilin University, Jilin, China, 1995
• Humboldt Research Award for Senior U.S. Scientists, Alexander Von Humboldt - Stiftung, Germany, 1996
• Meggers Award for year 1995, Society for Applied Spectroscopy, 1996
• Excellence in Teaching Award, American Chemical Society, Analytical Division, 1998
• Gill Chair, College of Arts & Sciences, Indiana University, 1999
• Society for Applied Spectroscopy, Honorary Membership, 1999
• Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award, 2001
• Indiana Academy of Science Speaker of the Year, 2000-2001
• Trustees Teaching Award, Indiana University – 2002
• Distinguished Faculty Research Lecturer, Indiana University – 2004
• New York Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy Gold Medal Award - 2004
• Monie A. Ferst Award - 2004
• Society for Applied Spectroscopy Fellow of the Society Award – 2004
• Royal Society of Chemistry, Fellow of the Society – 2005
• Wolfgang-Paul-Lecture Award, German Mass Spectrometry Society – 2006
• Amy Mellon Lecturer, Purdue University, Department of Chemistry – 2007
• International CSI XXXV Award, sponsored by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd – 2007
• Maurice F. Hasler Award – 2009
• USP Award for an Outstanding Contribution to the Standard-Setting Process – 2010
• Royal Society of Chemistry Robert Boyle Prize for Analytical Science – 2010
• R&D100 Award – 2011
• American Chemical Society Fellow – 2011
• Oesper Award, University of Cincinnati – 2012

Highlights

Indiana University scientists build a better mass trap
New technology may change the way common laboratory machine is made. Scientists at Indiana University and three other research centers have developed a more effective mass spectrometer, a device used by many scientists to find out what elements or compounds are in an unknown substance.   >> Full Story

Interview: Having a Gas
Gary Hieftje tells Nina Notman about the fun side of science.   >> Full Story

Product developed by IU chemistry lab recognized in 'Oscars of Innovation'
Technology developed by Indiana University Bloomington chemist Gary Hieftje and collaborators at IU and other institutions has been named a winner in the 49th annual R&D 100 Awards, which salute the 100 most technologically significant products introduced into the marketplace over the past year.  >> Full Story

Indiana University chemist Gary Hieftje named American Chemical Society Fellow
Indiana University chemist Gary Hieftje has been named to the 2011 class of American Chemical Society Fellows, an honor bestowed upon 213 distinguished scientists who have made outstanding accomplishments in chemistry and important contributions to ACS.  >> Full Story